Phylogeography of Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones, Iuridae)

Abstract

Aim This study uses molecular data in conjunction with palaeogeography to infer the most plausible biogeographical scenario accounting for the current distributional pattern of Iurus dufoureius. Location North‐eastern Mediterranean region. Methods Sequencing of a 441‐bp segment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene in seven populations covering the whole distributional range of the species. Phylogenetic analyses performed included neighbour joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. Results The molecular phylogeny showed that two Iurus clades are strongly supported. These clades correspond to the two subspecies Iurus dufoureius dufoureius and Iurus dufoureius asiaticus, currently recognized within the genus. The assumption of a clock‐like evolution could not be rejected, and this enabled us to estimate an approximation of the local rate of evolution for the I. dufoureius lineages. Based on the estimated evolutionary rate (0.79 ± 0.17 Myr−1), the split between the two Iurus clades occurred c. 8 Ma. Main conclusions Contrary to what was believed in the past, the genus Iurus is an old north‐eastern Mediterranean genus that has been differentiating in southern Greece and south‐west Turkey at least from the middle Miocene. According to the phylogenetic trees obtained and the dating of the divergence times of lineages, the genus dispersed into the Aegean Archipelago when the Aegean was still a uniform land mass. Although the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. dufoureius populations have been shaped by the most recent vicariant events, the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. asiaticus populations are mostly attributable to older palaeoevents occurring in the area.

Molecular biogeography of Europe: Pleistocene cycles and postglacial trends

“…This event has been reported to have acted as a major factor determining the biogeographical patterns of scorpions [94,95] and reptiles [96,97]. In the scorpion Iurus dufoureius this vicariance is mirrored in a western group from the Peloponnisos to Crete island and an eastern clade from Karpathos island to southwestern Turkey [94].…”

“…This event has been reported to have acted as a major factor determining the biogeographical patterns of scorpions [94,95] and reptiles [96,97]. In the scorpion Iurus dufoureius this vicariance is mirrored in a western group from the Peloponnisos to Crete island and an eastern clade from Karpathos island to southwestern Turkey [94]. In other species, more complex genetic patterns evolved with localised endemic lineages especially in the long-term isolated islands of the southern Kyklades and Crete as in the scorpion Mesobuthus gibbosus [95], Podarcis lizards [96,97] and land snails [98,99].…”

As Old as the Hills: Montane Scorpions in Southwestern North America Reveal Ancient Associations between Biotic Diversification and Landscape History

“…Many scorpions demonstrate limited vagility and a high degree of stenotopy such that the distributions of phylogenetically related taxa are often predictably restricted to a narrow range of stable habitats that may have persisted over millions of years [9], [11]. As evidence, several evolutionary studies on scorpions have revealed patterns of deep species-level divergence and diversification during the Miocene and Pliocene [12], [13], [14], [15], [16]. The diversity and ecological specialization of North American scorpions [17], [18] makes them appropriate for exploring biogeographical patterns on the continent.…”

The evolutionary history of the Mediterranean centipede Scolopendra cingulata (Latreille, 1829) (Chilopoda: Scolopendridae) across the Aegean archipelago

“…Several phylogeographical studies have shed light on the evolutionary history of the Aegean (Douris et al ., 1995; Poulakakis et al ., 2003, 2005a, b; Parmakelis et al ., 2006a, b); nevertheless, discrepancies among these testify to the need for further studies, with a focus on a variety of taxonomic groups (Parmakelis et al ., 2006a). In this regard, this study reconstructs the evolutionary history of a centipede species distributed in the Aegean.…”